Apparatus for treating explosive mixtures



July 20 1926. 1,593,223

R.-SCHLEMM APPARATUS FOR TREATING EXPLOSIVEMIXTURES Filed Feb. 17. 1923 In yen tor barf Sch/0mm Patented July 20, 1926.

UNITE S'EAEES PATENT QFFICE.

ROBERT SCHLEMM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING EXPLOSIVE MIXTURES.

This invention re apparatus for trea used for operating glues.

Application filed. February 17, 1923. Serial No. 619,620.

lates to a process of and ting explosive mixtures internal combustion en- The object of the invention is to brevent waste of fuel oil and contamination of the separating therefrom in the engine.

relates to a process of mixtures, it consists in the particles of free liquid fuel entrained thereby by imparting a whirling motion thereto in a substantially circular chamber, its centrifugal action operating to deposit entrained liquid particles upon the inner surface of said treating chamber in the form of a film, which will continue to flow around the inner surface of the treating chamber until vaporized, 1mpelled by the stream of explos1ve mixture passing through said chamber,

said vapor being taken up as formed, and carried to the engine by said stream of explosive mixture, and in applying heat to said film of liquid fuel to effect vaporization thereof.

As the invention the practice of my relates to apparatus for improved process, sald apparatus comprises an entrained free liquid separator in association with the carbureter of the engine, comprising a cular chamber prov discharge openlngs with each other, the

substantially cirided with admission and positioned out of line e admission opening being formed through the curved wall of the chamber and being directed so that the vapor stream entering said chamber will impinge upon the curved wall of the chamber tangentially or at an acute angle, and the d18- charge opening or openings being directed axially of or parallel with the axis of said chamber, chamber imparting the curvature of the wall of the a whirling movement to the vapor stream the centrifugal action of which will cause the relatively liquid particles entrained thereby posited upon the chamber in the form of a film, pelled by the vapor stream passing said chamber-will heavy free to be decurved surface of said which-imthrough continue to flow around said chamber until vaporized, being taken up as fast as vaporized by the vapor stream mber and carried to the My improved appar tus traversing said cha gine recreate also comprises means for heating the curved wall of the separator chamber on which the film of free liquid fuel is deposited to a sufficiently high temperature to effect vaporization thereof-say slightly more than 500 F.

' Preferably, also, the treating chamber will be of such relatively small size that the time required for the vapor stream to traverse said chamber will be so short that its temperature will not be appreciably increased by radiation of heat from the hot wall of said treating chamber. Obviously, however, the temperature of the vapor stream will be increased somewhat-say to a temperature of from 250 or 300 F.by the return thereto of the hot vapors produced insaid chamber by vaporization of the film of free liquid fuel deposited on the curved wall of the chamber as heretofore explained. Also,

to a large extent, the film of free liquid fuel on the wall of the treating chamber will prevent heating of the vapor stream passing through said chamber by radiation from the hot wall of the chamber, as the sensible heat radiated from the hot surface of said separator chamber will be utilized in vaporizing said film of free liquid and thus become latent.

Preferably, also, my invention contemplates supplying air to the carbureter, with out preheating-that is at substantially "atmospheric temperature. Under the conditions assumed, explosive mixture will be sup- 35 plied to the engine at a relatively low temperature-250 to 300 F., as statedthereby insuring development of substantially full rated power by the engine.

\Vith the 7 described construction and method of operation, it is obvious that none but thoroughly vaporized fuel oil will be supplied to the engine cylinders, forming a balanced explosive mixture and resulting in perfect combustion, high efficiency in operation and also effectually preventing fuel waste and contamination of the engine oil by seepage of fuel oil past the engine cylinders-assuming, of course, that the carbureter is adjusted to supply proper proportions of fuel oil and air to form a balanced mixture. i

In practice, I contemplate forming. the treating chamber in the manifold ofthe en-- gine, such adaptation involving certain minor features and details of construction, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which my invention is fully illustrated Figure 1 is a side view partly in section, illustrating the GlHlOOCllHlQllll of my improved arbureting apparatus as part of the manifold of the engine of a Ford. automobile, the section being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; and

Figures 2 and. 3 are sectional elevations on the lines 2-2 and respectively, of Fig. 1.

For purposes of clear and dctinite illustratiou, I have, in the acconn'uinying drawings, shown a carbureting apparatus adapt-- ed for the practice of my improved process of treating explosive mixtures as use to the manifold of the engine of a Ford automobile. lVhile this particular embodiment and adaptationconstitutes a large and perhaps the principal. field for the use of my invention, it admits of a wide range of adaptation and use and, as regards the apparatus, may be embodied in many diiierent forms.

I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the particular form of apparatus shown nor to any particular form of apparatus, the scope of the invention contemplates all forms of apparatus adapted for the practice of my improved process.

Referring now to the drawings, A designates the exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine-specitically of a standard Ford automobile engine.

Formed on said manifold is an extension designated as a whole B, comprising spaced inner and outer walls 1 and 2 which detine a substantially circular inner chamber 3 and an outer chamber 1- which SUTIOUIHS said inner chamber. The ends of both chumbers are closed by common end walls '3.

Communicating with the chamber 3 is an admission pipe 7 and discharge pipes 8.

The admission pipe 7 is adapted for con necting the chamber 3 with the discharge opening of the carburetor of the engine, not shown, and opens through the wall 1, being directed substantially tangentially or at an acute angle to said wall, whereby a whirlingmotion will be imparted to the vapor stream entering said chamber, the centrifugal action of which will operate to deposit particles of free liquid fuel entrained by said *apor stream upon the wall ot said chamber in the form of a thin film, which, impelled by the vapor stream, will continue to flow around said chamber until vaporized, as presently described. As shown, the admission pipe 7 communicates with the chamber 3 substantially at its longitudinal center.

The discharge pipes 8 communicate with the ends of the chamber 3 and form sections applied iu' 1,5ea,22s

of passageways connecting said chamber with the admission ports of the engine, not shown. Also, to prevent free liquid fuel from passing directly from the wall of the chamber 3 into the discharge pipes 8, tlan 'cs 9 surround the admission openings to said pipes, projecting into the chambers 53 and forming what may be described as traps surrounding the admission ends of said pipes. As shown, the sections of said discharge pipes adjacent to and which communicate ireetly with the chamber '3 are disposed substantially axially with reference thereto.

The outer wall 2 of the chamber t broken away between said chamber and the passageways 10 forming part of the intermediate exhaust connections between the engine and the manifold A, so that said chamber will be in open eonm'umication with said passageways, the open side 11 of said chamher being disposed substantially in line with the open admission ends 12 of the passageways 10 which are adapted to be connected directly with the exhaust ports of the engine, the relation being such that a portion of the exhaust gases entering said passageways 10 will be diverted into and will traverse the chamber 1, thus heating the wall 1 of the chamber 3 to a high temperature which will operate to quickly volatilize the film of free liquid fuel thereon, which will thereupon be taken up by the vapor stream passing through said chamber and carried with it to the engine cylinders.

As shown, the portion of the wall of the manifold A between the admission opening 11 to the chamber 4t and the passageways 10 is shaped to form a lip 18, which will ettectively divert a portion of the exhaust into said chamber 1 in the manner de scribed. Also, the admission opening 11 to said chamber 41- is preferably slightly 'tiarcd.

My invention, however, contemplates dispensing with the chamber 1 and directing the exhaust passing through the exhaust passageways 10 directly against a section of the wall 1 of the inner chamber 3. whereby said wall will be heated to a desired temperature by the direct application of heat, and portions of the wall. adjacent thereto heated by conduction.

The flanges 9 which surround the open ends of the discl'iarge pipes 8 from the chamher 3, form traps at the ends of said chamber, which will prevent free liquid from flowing directly from the walls of said ciamber into the pipes 8, thus, to a large extent insuring that only dry explosive minture will be delivered to the engine.

As a further precaution against the ad mission of free liquid fuel to the engine cylinders, I also preferably provide traps at the discharge ends of said pipes 8. As shown, said traps consist of bushings 14: secured in the discharge openings of said ga ses' Hil pipes, the-ends of which project into said pipes, as shown at 15, and the size of said pipes adjacent to their discharge ends being sufficiently larger than the outside diameter of the bushings 14 to provide spaces 16 surrounding the inwardly projecting ends 15 of said bushings.

Described with reference to the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the operation of my improved apparatus is as follows:

\Vhen the engine is running, the portion of the waste gases passing from the engine cylinders to the carburetor A through the exhaust passageways 10 will enter the open side 11 of the chamber i, passing around said chamber and heating the wall of the chamber 3 to a high degree, at which temperature it will be maintained as long as the engine continues to run.

The suction of the engine when running, will draw a stream of explosive mixture from the carburetor, not shown, through the pipe 7 into the chamber 3, through the pipes 8 and thence by suitable connections, not shown, to the engine.

As the stream of explosive mixture enters the chamber 3, it will be directed against the substantially circular inner surface of the wall of said chamber, which will impart a whirling action thereto, the centrifugal action of which, due to the velocity of the vapor stream, will cause particles of free liquid fuel to be deposited upon the wall of said chamber and to flow around the same in the form of a thin film, toe thoroughly vaporized explosive mixture passing directly into the pipes 8 and thence to the engine.

The hot wall of the chamber 3 will quickly vaporize the film of free liquid fuel deposited thereon, which as fast as formed, will be taken up by the stream of dry explosive mixture passing through said chamber and carried by it into the discharge pipes 8 and thence by suitable connections to the 1 engine.

Should any free liquid fuel reach the ends of the chamber 3, it will be prevented from passing into the discharge pipes 8 by the inwardly projecting flanges 9. In like manner the traps formed by the projecting ends 15 of the bushings 1d will prevent any free liquid fuel which may reach the ends of the pipes 8 from passing out of said pipes to the engine.

To render the entrained liquid fuel traps formed by the projecting ends 15' of the bushings l t practically effective, it is necessary that they be installed in curved sections of the fuel supply passageway in such position that the explosive mixture will traverse all or a portion of said curved section before reaching said trap or traps.

I do not, however, desire to limit myself to the use of such traps as an element of my improved process and apparatus, as they admit of a wide range of application and use independently thereof.

As previously explained, when making a cold start-particularly in cold weather an excess of fuel oil. will be required owing to the relatively small qrurntit; of highly volatile fuel oil constituent, the heavier liquid constituents of the oil being deposited upon and continuing to flow around the inner surface of the separator (Ill2li11lf-lliipllt3i by the vapor stream entering said cl1amberuntil the wall. of said chamber is heated to a sufficiently high temperature to volatilize the same.

in accordance with my invention, also, the size of the chamber 3 is so proportioned that the ten'i erature of the stream of explosive mixture traversing said chamber, will be only very slightly increased by radiation from the hot wall of said chamber, practically the only temperature increase of the vapor stream being due to the addition thereto of the hot vapors produced in said chamber by vaporization of the oil film on the wall of said chamber. Heating of the vapor stream by radiation from the hot wall 1, while passing through said chamber, will also be prevented by the film of liquid fuel on said wall, vaporization of which will absorb the sensible heat radiated from said wall in the form of latent heat.

The temperature of the vapor stream as it leaves the chamber 3, due to the addition thereto of the hot vapors generated in said chamber, will be about 250 to 350 11,- depending upon the atmospheric tempera ture and assuming that the initial mixture delivered to the chamber 3 was produced at atmospheric temperature-that is without preheating of the air.

Jnder the conditions assumed, as the free liquid oil vaporized in the chamber 3 enters the vapor stream, its temperature will be reduced below the point of saturation and a portion of said vapor will be condensed forming a fog which will be held in suspension by and carried along with the vapor stream to the engine, the heat produced by compression of the engine charge in the engine cylinders preliminary to ignition thereof, operating to again vaporize said fog or fine vapor particle's.

While I consider a circular chamber 3 as preferable, I do not desire to limit myself too strictly in this respect, as good results may be obtained by the use of apparatus of my invention, the shape of the chambers 3 of Which, departs very materially from a true circle. These limits of variation can only be ascertained definitely by tests and experiments, and for want of a more exact definition l have, in the specification and claims used the expression substantially circular to define the shape of said hamber,

by which designation I intend to include any form of chamber which tests and experiments based on my general disclosure show will operate effectively to accomplish the objects of my invention.

Neither do I desire to limit myself as regards the proportions of the chamber 3, as this admits of a wide range of variation within the contemplation of my invention, both as regards its diameter and its axial dimension.

Also, while in the present application I have shown and described the chamber 3 as provided with two discharge pipes, this is immaterial and my invention contemplates equally either more or less discharge pipes, as may be considered desirable and expedient in any given installation.

I claim 1. An apparatus for treating explosive mixture comprising a casing provided with a substantially circular chamber provided with admission and discharge openings ii'ormed, respectively, in the circular and end walls of the treating chamber, said chamber being relatively much longer in the direction of its axis than the corresponding dimension of the admission opening thereto, and said admission opening being directed substantially tangentially to the circular wall of the treating chamber, the relation being such that liquid particles entrained by a current of explosive mixture entering said chamber will be deposited on the circular wall of said chamber in the form of a film and will continue to flow around the wall of said chamber impelled by the current flow until vaporized, and means for heating said wall.

2. An apparatus for treating explosive mixture as specified in claim 1, in which the aomission opening is positioned substantially at the longitudinal center of the treating chamber and said chamber is provided with discharge openings in both ends thereof.

In witness that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aitix my signature this 19th. day of January, A. D. 19A? ROBERT SCI-ILEMM. 

